


I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much (All of the while I never knew, all of the while it was you)

by being_a_fangirl



Series: Coffee Shop Au's [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-24
Updated: 2013-09-24
Packaged: 2017-12-27 11:44:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/978489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/being_a_fangirl/pseuds/being_a_fangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of the tumblr post where Harry is a coffee shop barista and Louis is the boy who never gives the same name. Cute, wonderful, all-encompassing fluff ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much (All of the while I never knew, all of the while it was you)

**Author's Note:**

> People really loved the coffee shop AU i posted before ([here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/902467)) so i thought i would post this! i SHOULD be doing the mass amounts of homework i have, but i thought this would be more fun (especially since i haven't updated ANY of my stories in months, im so sorry)
> 
> this work is very much un-beta'd as they are ignoring me right now, waaah.  
> i apologize for any mistakes, i'm only human. 
> 
> title is from Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop- Landon Pigg
> 
> this work is a piece of fiction, blah blah blah you know the deal. enjoy.

The crisp autumn air gave Louis a chill he just couldn’t shake. This was always his favourite time of year, when the fallen leaves would crunch under his every step and when old Halloween reruns would play on the television. He loved this time of year so much so that he couldn’t even bring himself to be upset that the slight breeze seemed to find its way through every seam and hole in his jacket. He just crossed his arms tighter across his chest and pushed forward, the new coffee shop by his campus coming into view.

The shop had two large windows that were slightly fogged up from the warm temperature inside, and a large rustic looking sign atop the door that said Hava Java. Louis chuckled and pushed open the door, the warm air a relief from the cold. It was quite a cute little shop, Louis could admit. Music softly played while tables and couches were already completely filled with studying students throughout the room. 

Louis walked up to the counter and waited his turn in line. The staff here already seemed to have a groove of working together. The two boys slid and turned past each other with out any sort of accident or spill- it was almost unbelievable. Sooner than thought possible, it was Louis’ turn at the front of the line and he found himself face to face with a cheery-eyed, curly-headed boy.

“And what can I get for you today?” The boy asked with a polite smile on his face.

“A tea please. Just a splash of milk and no sugar, thanks.” Louis rattled off.

“You do realize you are the most boring customer I have served today, right?” The boy smirked, “I mean, you have about 100 drinks- fun drinks might I add- that you can order from, and you choose a plain tea?”

“Who made you the drink connoisseur?” Louis snorted out a laugh, “Tea is _the_ drink to have on a day like today in my opinion.”

“Yes, but in my opinion I say you would love our pumpkin spice latte.” The boy placed his hand on his cocked hip.

“And if I absolutely hate it, do I get it free?” 

“Well it doesn’t matter because I know you’re not going to hate it. Now what’s your name?” The boy asked.

It was always a thing with Louis. He never gave his real name to these coffee shops. The weirder the name he got away with, the more fun the game was.

“Oh, my name is Herman.”

The boy wrote Herman on the side of the take away cup and made his drink. It didn’t take long and soon enough the boy was standing in front of him again with a smug look on his face, “Alright Herman, drink up.”

Louis sipped, and as much as he hated to admit it, it was one of the best warm drinks he had ever tasted. He heard the boy laugh at what must have been a look of amazement on his face, so he scowled in his direction and stalked out of the shop.

 

The next time Louis entered Hava Java the boy was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t too disappointed; it would be rather embarrassing for him to see Louis ordering another pumpkin spice latte.

“And what’s your name?” the blonde boy asked.

“Peter.” Louis replied just as another figure walked behind the counter.

“Peter?” the curly haired boy asked with narrowed eyes.

“Yep, that’s my name.” Louis smirked right back.

The boy shook his head in bemusement and walked to the other side of the counter to help another customer with their order. He was in the middle of pouring the coffee the customer ordered when he looked over to the blonde boy making Louis’ cup.

“I knew it!” he laughed, “I knew you would like it!” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Louis sniffed, “this is for a friend.”

“Right,” the boy said, turning toward the counter. At this angle Louis could see he was wearing a nametag today. Harry. “Would your friend’s name happen to be Herman? I think I’ve seen him before.”

Louis snorted so hard he nearly thought he would choke. Nobody had ever caught him out on his name changing before. They usually just wrote Louis off as a lunatic and went on their merry way. Harry however seemed to think differently.

“Herman? Naw mate, I don’t know a Herman.” Louis smirked again.

“Ah, must’ve been someone else then.” Harry was smirking now too.

Louis left the shop shortly after that with a warm latte in his hand and a new sense of curiosity for a certain coffee shop barista. 

 

“Zayn.” Louis whined from his place in front of the computer.

“Louis.” Zayn sighed from his place facedown on the floor. The two of them had been in Louis’ room for the past three hours thinking of a variety of unusual names that Louis could use when going back to Hava Java.

“Come on, I don’t think we have enough. Help me out, mate. It is for curiosity’s sake!” Louis exclaimed.

“No, fuck you, I have given you like fifty different names and you have shot down almost all of them. Do this yourself, I thought we were supposed to be studying.” Zayn said, beginning to hit his head repeatedly off of the carpeted dorm floor.

“Just, like, just let me go over what we have so far okay?” Louis paused for an answer from Zayn but only received silence. He took that as an okay to continue, “So like, we have Hubert, Byron, Wesley, Clifford, Graham, Geoffrey, Arnold, and Sherman. I’m not sure how I feel about Sherman though, sounds too close to Herman. He might think I’m getting lazy.”

“Man, you are putting far too much thought into this. If you want to bone him just fucking ask him for his number.” Zayn mumbled.

“Zayn Malik how very dare you!” Louis swiveled in his chair toward the heap on the floor, “This is not some weird courting ritual. Just, nobody’s ever called me out on changing my name. This is only _fun_.”

“mmph.” The pounding of Zayn’s head on the floor grew louder.

“Perfect. Now, just, is Sherman too close to Herman?”

 

The next time Louis walked into Hava Java he was determined not to get the pumpkin spice latte no matter how delicious it was. He had dignity you know.

The shop was surprisingly quiet for the middle of a school day but Harry still worked diligently cleaning the counter of any spills and stains. When he heard the tinkle of bells signaling Louis’ arrival, he threw the towel down and walked to the cash register.

“Welcome to Hava Java stranger, what can I get for you today?” Harry asked, his dimples making an appearance at his amusement.

“What do you suggest I get today?” Louis asked, leaning against the counter.

“Hmmm.” Harry tapped his finger against his chin in thought, “I think a regular hot chocolate will do the trick.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Perfect. Could I get your name?” Harry smirked.

“Hubert.” Louis replied.

Harry let out a barking laugh before clapping his oversized hand over his oversized mouth and moved to the machines to make Louis’ drink. If changing his name every time would elicit a reaction like that out of Harry, Louis predicted he would definitely be doing it more often.

 

The next few weeks for Louis went in a pattern of school, work, and coffee shop. His game with Harry had taken over such a huge part of his life that Louis was sure he would develop a caffeine addiction from the high levels of coffee he was consuming. He wasn’t too worried though, because every time Harry looked up and saw Louis entering the shop a blinding smile would break out across his face.

Many times Louis had debated about telling Harry his real name; but every time he seriously thought about it he was reminded of the fact that even if he _did_ tell him his real name, Harry would probably just think it was another fake name. Anyway, Louis thought, maybe he was just destined to play a fun game with the cute barista- nothing more. Like, Louis thought, what if Harry got to know _Louis_ and not Herman or Peter or Hubert and thought he was boring? This was definitely the preferred option.

It was early December when Louis found himself nestled into a comfy chair in the library. It was coming up to exam season and the amount of work and review that was being dumped on every student was a bit ridiculous in Louis’ opinion. Zayn had just sat down next to him at the table when he pointed to a far corner of the library.

“Who’s Liam talking to?” asked Zayn.

“Fuck.” Louis muttered when he found Liam speaking to none other than coffee shop Harry. Louis saw rather than heard Liam ask Harry, ‘you want to know his name?’ Liam looked up searching for Louis. Acting quickly, Louis mimed a ‘no’ motion and mouthed ‘lie’ to Liam, hoping he would understand.

Louis stared at Liam’s lips trying to decipher what he was saying. He couldn’t quite get what he said, but he knew for a fact that he didn’t tell Harry his name was Louis. It looked more like he said Benjamin, which, well yeah that works.

Picking up a scrap sheet of notes, Louis scribbled ‘GOOD TRY’ on the back and held up the sheet for Harry who had turned around and looked in the direction Liam had been looking in. He let out one of the laughs Louis had come to become quite fond of and got shushed by many studying students.

Before walking out, Harry turned back to Louis and mouthed ‘one day’.

 

It wasn’t until after Christmas hols that Louis had a chance to visit Hava Java again and he had really begun to miss the place. The warmth and smell of the drinks greeted him like an old friend and he walked to the counter where he saw the familiar curly headed boy cleaning like usual.

“Hello dear Harry.” Louis greeted.

“Hello.” Harry smiled back but it wasn’t his usual all-encompassing smiles. That wouldn’t do one bit in Louis’ books.

“And what’s the matter with you today?” Louis asked as he leaned against the counter.

“Straight to the point, I like it.” Harry muttered.

“Avoiding the question I see.” Louis returned.

“Well,” Harry sighed, “let’s say I really wanted to ask someone out. But I wasn’t sure if they would say yes or not. What would you do?” 

“Who could say no to you, curly?” Louis said, cocking his head to the side.

“He might.” He paused, “You see, I don’t know him very well so I don’t know how he would react to something like that.”

“Let’s start with his name then, maybe I know him and could give you the details and know how.” Louis’ stomach dropped at the prospect of helping Harry ask someone out who wasn’t himself; however after this nobody could say Louis wasn’t a selfless person.

“Yeah, another issue. I don’t exactly know his real name. He does however go by the name of Herman, Peter, Hubert, Benjamin…” Harry copied Louis stance of leaning against the counter and looked straight at him. It was the most serious Louis had ever seen him. His usually bright eyes were darker now; Louis had to look away before Harry caught him staring too long.

“Ah,” Louis half-laughed, “I see the issue now. Well, I think any guy would love to go on a date with you. Especially one where they met up at their _favourite_ coffee shop and headed to a movie afterwards.”

“You think?” Harry’s famous smile broke out across his face, “Do you think any guy would also love to go out tonight? Possibly after my shift?”

“I think so. I mean, it’s Friday and unless this guy is very focused on his work I’m sure he doesn’t have anything that can’t be rescheduled.” Louis turned and leaned against the counter so that he was now resting on his elbows.

“Perfect.” Harry copied his stance again and brought the two of them marginally closer to each other. “So just so we’re clear, I should tell him to be here at around 7:00?”

“Yeah I think that’s a fantastic time.”

 

“Zayn! Liam! You aren’t helping you absolute twats!” Louis yelled from inside his closet. The two boys had come over to help Louis pick out an outfit but only had succeeded in raising his nerves to a whole new level.

“Lou, we told you. We liked the third outfit. Put it on and stop panicking.” Liam said softly, pulling Louis by the shoulders out of the closet to sit on the bed.

“Yeah, okay.” Louis mumbled and numbly put on the clothes Liam laid out for him on the bed. He didn’t know why he was feeling this nervous. He had seen Harry before and spoken to him many times, but this time was different. This time he would find out Louis’ real name, this time Louis couldn’t hide behind someone else’s name. He was going to lay it all on the table, and for some reason that terrified him.

The walk to the coffee shop seemed a hell of a lot shorter than Louis remembered it to be, and soon enough he saw the small Hava Java sign and a shadowed figure underneath it. 

“Well, Hello.” Harry greeted as Louis got closer.

“Hello,” Louis replied and stopped with about a foot of space left between the two of them.

“My name’s Harry, what’s yours?” Harry stuck out his hand for him to shake, and Louis could feel all earlier nerves leave his body. Harry was being a dork and Louis could not appreciate it enough in that moment.

“Me?” Louis breathed as his held Harry’s hand in his own, “My name’s Louis.”

“Wonderful,” Harry smiled a small private smile, “lovely to meet you Louis. Shall we?”

Harry opened the door to the coffee shop and held it open for Louis to step through. When Louis answered the barista’s question about what his name was with a confident, “Louis” he could practically feel Harry’s smile all over his skin and he decided maybe laying it all on the table wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

**Author's Note:**

> if you liked it please show some love with a kudos or a comment. i appreciate everything :)
> 
> also, if you wish to keep up to date on my writing follow being-a-fangirl.tumblr.com
> 
> thank you so much for reading!


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